Céline Marie Claudette Dion, CCOQChLD (/ˈdiːɒn/;[4]French: [selin djɔ̃] (listen); born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Born into a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec,[5] Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record.[6] In 1990, she released the English-language album Unison, establishing herself as a viable pop artist in North America and other English-speaking areas of the world.[7]

Dion first gained international recognition in the 1980s by winning both the 1982 YamahaWorld Popular Song Festival and the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest where she represented Switzerland.[8][9] Following a series of French albums in the early 1980s, she signed on to CBS Records Canada in 1986. During the 1990s, with the help of Angélil, she achieved worldwide fame after signing with Epic Records and releasing several English albums along with additional French albums, becoming one of the most successful artists in pop music history.[10][11] However, in 1999 at the height of her success, Dion announced a hiatus from entertainment in order to start a family and spend time with her husband, who had been diagnosed with cancer.[11][12] She returned to the top of pop music in 2002 and signed a three-year (later extended to almost five years) contract to perform nightly in a five-star theatrical show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada.[13][14][15]

Life and career

1968–1989: Early life and career beginnings

Dion was born in Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada, the youngest of 14 children of Thérèse (née Tanguay), a homemaker, and Adhémar Dion, a butcher, both of French-Canadian descent.[28][29] Dion was raised a Roman Catholic in a poverty-stricken, but, by her own account, happy home in Charlemagne.[11][30] Music had always been a part of the family (Dion was named after the song Céline, recorded by French singer Hugues Aufray two years before her birth [31]). On 13 August 1973, (at the age of five) the young Céline made her first public appearance at her brother Michel's wedding, where she performed Christine Charbonneau's song [32]Du fil des aiguilles et du coton.[33] Thereafter, she continued to perform with her siblings in her parents' small piano bar called Le Vieux Baril. From an early age Dion had dreamed of being a performer.[16] In a 1994 interview with People magazine, she recalled, "I missed my family and my home, but I don't regret having lost my adolescence. I had one dream: I wanted to be a singer."[34]

Dion at the age of 18

At age 12, Dion collaborated with her mother and her brother Jacques to compose her first song, "Ce n'était qu'un rêve" ("It Was Only a Dream").[30] Her brother Michel Dondalinger Dion sent the recording to music manager René Angélil, whose name he discovered on the back of a Ginette Reno album.[6] Angélil was moved to tears by Dion's voice, and decided to make her a star.[30] In 1981, he mortgaged his home to fund her first record, La voix du bon Dieu ("The Voice of the Good God"), which later became a local number-one hit and made Dion an instant star in Quebec. Her popularity spread to other parts of the world when she competed in the 1982 Yamaha World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, Japan, and won the musician's award for "Top Performer" as well as the gold medal for "Best Song" with "Tellement j'ai d'amour pour toi" ("I Have So Much Love for You").[6]

By 1983, in addition to becoming the first Canadian artist to receive a gold record in France for the single "D'amour ou d'amitié" ("Of Love or of Friendship"), Dion had also won several Félix Awards, including "Best Female performer" and "Discovery of the Year".[6][35] Further success in Europe, Asia, and Australia came when Dion represented Switzerland in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Ne partez pas sans moi (Don't Leave Without Me) and won the contest by a close margin in Dublin, Ireland.[36] However, American success was yet to come as she was at that point exclusively a Francophone artist.[37] At eighteen, after seeing a Michael Jackson performance, Dion told Angélil that she wanted to be a star like Jackson.[38] Though confident in her talent, Angélil realized that her image needed to be changed in order for her to be marketed worldwide.[30] Dion receded from the spotlight for a number of months, during which she underwent dental surgery to improve her appearance, and was sent to the École Berlitz in 1989 to polish her English.[7]

In 1989, during a concert on the Incognito Tour, Dion injured her voice. She consulted the otorhinolaryngologist William Gould,[39][40] who gave her an ultimatum: have immediate surgery on her vocal cords, or do not utilize them at all for three weeks.[39] Dion chose the latter and underwent vocal training with William Riley.[39][39][40][40]

Two years after she learned English, Dion made her debut into the Anglophone market with Unison (1990), the lead single having originally been recorded by Laura Branigan.[6] She incorporated the help of many established musicians, including Vito Luprano and Canadian producer David Foster.[16] The album was largely influenced by 1980s soft rock music that quickly found a niche within the adult contemporary radio format. Unison also hit the right notes with critics: Jim Faber of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Dion's vocals were "tastefully unadorned", and that she never attempted to "bring off styles that are beyond her".[41] Stephen Erlewine of Allmusic declared it as, "a fine, sophisticated American debut."[42] Singles from the album included "(If There Was) Any Other Way", "The Last to Know", "Unison", and "Where Does My Heart Beat Now", a mid-tempo soft-rock ballad which made prominent use of the electric guitar. The latter became her first single to reach the top-ten on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number-four. The album established Dion as a rising singer in the United States, and across Continental Europe and Asia.

By 1992, Unison, Céline Dion, and numerous high-profile media appearances had propelled Dion to superstardom in North America. She had achieved one of her main objectives: wedging her way into the Anglophone market and achieving fame.[37] However, while she was experiencing rising success in the U.S., her French fans in Canada criticized her for neglecting them.[16][44] She would later rebuff these criticisms at the 1991 Félix Awards show, where, after winning "English Artist of the Year", she openly refused to accept the award. She asserted that she was—and would always be—a French, not an English, artist.[7][45] Apart from her commercial success, there were also changes in Dion's personal life, as Angélil, who was twenty-six years her senior, transitioned from manager to lover. However, the relationship was kept a secret as they both feared that the public would find their relations inappropriate.[46]

1993–95: The Colour of My Love and D'eux

In 1993, Dion announced her feelings for her manager by declaring him "the colour of [her] love" in the dedication section of her third English-language album The Colour of My Love. However, instead of criticizing their relationship as Dion had feared, fans embraced the couple.[16] Eventually, Angélil and Dion married in an extravagant wedding ceremony in December 1994, which was broadcast live on Canadian television.

As with most of her catalog, The Colour of my Love had overriding themes of love and romance.[47] It became her most successful record up to that point, selling more than six million copies in the U.S., two million in Canada, and peaking at number-one in many countries. The album also spawned Dion's first U.S., Canadian, and Australian number-one single "The Power of Love" (a remake of Jennifer Rush's 1985 hit), which would become her signature hit until she reached new career heights in the late 1990s.[37] The single "When I Fall in Love", a duet with Clive Griffin, achieved moderate success on the U.S. and Canadian charts, and was nominated for two Grammy Awards, winning one. The Colour of My Love also became Dion's first major hit in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom. Both the album and the single "Think Twice" simultaneously occupied the top of the British charts for five consecutive weeks. "Think Twice", which remained at number-one for seven weeks, eventually became the fourth single by a female artist to sell in excess of one million copies in the UK,[48] while the album was eventually certified five-times platinum for two-million copies sold.[49]

Dion kept to her French roots and continued to release many Francophone recordings between each English record.[50] Generally, they achieved more credibility than her English-language works.[44] She released À l'Olympia, a live album that was recorded during one of Dion's concerts at the Paris Olympia in 1994. It had one promotional single, a live version of "Calling You", which peaked at seventy-five on the French Singles Chart. She also recorded a bilingual version of Petit Papa Noël with Alvin and the Chipmunks for the 1994 holiday album A Very Merry Chipmunk. D'eux (also known as The French Album in the United States), was released in 1995, and it would go on to become the best-selling French-language album of all time.[50] The album was mostly written and produced by Jean-Jacques Goldman, and amassed huge success with the singles "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" and "Je sais pas". "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" reached number 1 in France and stayed at the top position for twelve weeks. It was later certified Platinum in France.[51] The single also reached the top ten in the UK and Ireland, a rare accomplishment for a French song. The second single off the album, "Je sais pas", reached number-one on the French Singles Chart as well and was certified Silver there.[52] These songs would later become "If That's What It Takes" and "I Don't Know" on Dion's next English album, Falling into You.

During the mid-1990s and onward, Dion's albums were generally constructed on the basis of melodramatic Adult contemporary ballads, with sprinklings of up-tempo pop and rare forays into other genres.[53] She collaborated with many renowned writers and producers such as Jim Steinman and David Foster, who helped her to develop a signature sound.[16][54] While critical reviews fluctuated, Dion's releases performed increasingly well on the international charts, and in 1996 she won the World Music Award for "World's Best-selling Female Recording Artist of the Year" for the third time. By the mid-1990s, she had established herself as one of the best-selling artists in the world.[55]

Falling into You garnered career-best reviews for Dion. While Dan Leroy wrote that it was not very different from her previous work,[57] and Stephen Holden of The New York Times and Natalie Nichols of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the album was formulaic,[58][59] other critics, such as Chuck Eddy of Entertainment Weekly, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AMG and Daniel Durchholz, lavished the album as "compelling", "passionate", "stylish", "elegant" and "remarkably well-crafted".[56][60]Falling Into You became Dion's most critically and commercially successful album: it topped the charts in many countries and became one of the best-selling albums of all time.[61] In 2013, CBC Music ranked Falling into you 33rd in their list of the 100 greatest Canadian albums ever.[62] In the United States, the album reached number-one,[63] and was later certified 11x Platinum for over 11 million copies shipped.[64] In Canada, the album was certified diamond for over one million copies shipped.[65] The IFPI certified Falling into You 9x Platinum, an accolade that has been given to only two other albums in history, with one of the two being Dion's own album, Let's Talk About Love.[66] The album also won Grammy Awards for Best Pop Album, and the academy's highest honor Album of the Year.[67] Dion's status on the world stage was further solidified when she was asked to perform "The Power of the Dream" at the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.[68] In March 1996, Dion launched the Falling into You Tour in support of her new album, giving concerts around the world for over a year.

Dion ended the 1990s with three more extremely successful albums: the Christmas albumThese Are Special Times (1998), the French-language album, S'il suffisait d'aimer, and the compilation album All the Way... A Decade of Song (1999).[83] On These Are Special Times, Dion co-wrote the song "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day" along with Ric Wake and Peter Zizzo.[84] The album was her most classically influenced yet, with orchestral arrangements found on virtually every track.[85] The album featured the single "I'm Your Angel", a duet with R. Kelly, which became Dion's fourth U.S. number one single, and a smash hit across the world. All the Way... A Decade of Song drew together her most successful hits coupled with seven new songs, including the lead off single "That's the Way It Is", a cover of Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", and "All the Way", a duet with Frank Sinatra.[83]All the way became one of the best-selling compilation albums of all time, reaching number-one in the United States for three weeks.[63] The album was later certified 7x Platinum in the U.S. for 7 million copies shipped.[86] It also topped the charts in the UK,[87] Canada,[88] and Australia.[89] Her last French-language studio album of the 1990s, S'il suffisait d'aimer, was very successful as well, topping the charts in every major French-speaking country, including France,[90] Switzerland,[91] Belgium Wallonia,[92] and Canada.[88] In France, the album was certified diamond, selling 1.5 million copies.[93] By the end of the 1990s, Celine Dion had sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, and had won a slew of industry awards.[94] Her status as one of the music industry's biggest pop divas was further solidified when she was asked to perform on VH1's Divas Live special in 1998, with superstars Aretha Franklin, Gloria Estefan, Shania Twain and Mariah Carey.[95] That year she also received two of the highest honours from her home country: "Officer of the Order of Canada for Outstanding Contribution to the World of Contemporary Music"[96][97] and "Officer of the National Order of Quebec".[98] A year later she was inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame, and was honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.[99]

Starting from the mid-nineties, the pop rock influence that was more noticeable in her earlier releases, was replaced by a more Adult contemporary feel.[69] Additionally, the recurring theme of "love" dominated most of her releases, which led to some critics dismissing her music as banal.[100] Other critics, like Elysa Gardner and Jose F. Promis, praised her voice during this period, describing it as a "technical marvel".[101][102] Steve Dollar, in his review of These Are Special Times, opined that Dion was a "vocal Olympian for whom there ain't no mountain—or scale—high enough."[103]

2000–03: Hiatus, A New Day Has Come, One Heart and 1 fille & 4 types

After releasing and promoting thirteen albums during the 1990s, Dion stated that she needed to settle down, and announced on her latest album All the Way... A Decade of Song, that she needed to take a step back from the spotlight and enjoy life.[11][104] Angélil's diagnosis with throat cancer also prompted her to hiatus.[105] While on break, Dion was unable to escape the spotlight. In 2000, the National Enquirer published a false story about the singer. Brandishing a picture of Dion and her husband, the magazine misquoted Dion, printing the headline, "Celine — 'I'm Pregnant With Twins!'"[106] Dion later sued the magazine for more than twenty million dollars.[107] The editors of the Enquirer printed an apology and a full retraction to Dion in the next issue, and donated money to the American Cancer Society in honor of Dion and her husband. A year after the incident, after undergoing fertility treatments, Dion gave birth to a son, René-Charles Dion Angélil, on 25 January 2001, in Florida.[108][109] Following the September 11 attacks, Dion returned to the music scene, and in a televised performance sang "God Bless America" at the benefit concert America: A Tribute to Heroes. Chuck Taylor of Billboard wrote, "the performance... brings to mind what has made her one of the celebrated vocalists of our time: the ability to render emotion that shakes the soul. Affecting, meaningful, and filled with grace, this is a musical reflection to share with all of us still searching for ways to cope."[110] Dion would perform it again in 2003 during pregame festivities for Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego.[111]

In December 2001, Dion published her autobiography, My Story, My Dream which chronicled her rags to riches story.[112]

Dion ended her three-year sabbatical from the music industry with the aptly titled album A New Day Has Come, released in March 2002. The album was Dion's most personal yet, with songs focusing on her motherhood and maturation as a woman such as "A New Day Has Come", and "Goodbye's (The Saddest Word)". She stated: "becoming a mother makes you a grown-up."[104] She stated, "A New Day Has Come, for Rene, for me, is the baby. It has everything to do with the baby...That song "A New Day Has Come" represents very well the mood I'm feeling right now. It represents the whole album."[113]A New Day Has Come debuted at number one in over 17 countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada.[114][115][116] In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with first week sales of 527,000 copies; marking her first number one debut on the chart, as well as the highest debut sales week of her career in the US.[117] It was eventually certified 3x Platinum in the United States,[118] and 6x Platinum in Canada.[119]

In conjunction with an endorsement deal with Chrysler, Dion released One Heart (2003), an album that represented her appreciation for life.[125] The album largely consisted of pop and dance music—a deviation from the soaring, melodramatic ballads, for which she had been known. Although the album achieved moderate success, One Heart was met with mixed criticism, and words such as "predictable" and "banal" appeared even in the most lenient reviews.[126][127] A cover of the 1989 Cyndi Lauper hit "I Drove All Night", released to launch her advertising campaign with Chrysler,[128] incorporated elements of dance-pop and rock and roll. The advertising deal was met with criticism, with some stating that Dion was trying to cater to her sponsors.[129] However, people like Bonita Stewart, who was the director of Chrysler Group Marketing Communications stated that "Chrysler was taken by how her appeal crossed ethnic lines." She also added, "She brings sophistication, refinement, romance and passion to the brand."[130]

After One Heart, Dion released her next English Language studio album, Miracle (2004). Miracle was a multimedia project conceived by Dion and Australian photographer Anne Geddes, and had a theme centering on babies and motherhood. The album was filled with lullabies and other songs of maternal love and inspiration, including covers of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" and John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy". The reviews for Miracle were mixed.[131] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic.com gave the album three of out five stars, stating, "The worst you can say about the record is that there are no surprises, but the audience for this record doesn't want surprises; they want comfort, whether it arrives in polished music or artsy photos of newborns, and Miracle provides both, which makes it appealing for those expectant or new mothers in Dion's audience.[131]Chuck Taylor of Billboard magazine wrote that the single "Beautiful Boy" was "an unexpected gem" and called Dion "a timeless, enormously versatile artist",[132] Chuck Arnold of People Magazine, however, labeled the album as excessively sentimental,[133] while Nancy Miller of Entertainment Weekly opined that "the whole earth-mama act is just opportunism, reborn".[134]Miracle debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart and number one in Canada, and was eventually certified platinum by the RIAA.[135]

The Francophone album 1 fille & 4 types (1 Girl & 4 Guys), released in October 2003, fared better than her previous two releases, and showed Dion trying to distance herself from the "diva" image. She recruited Jean-Jacques Goldman, Gildas Arzel, Eric Benzi, and Jacques Veneruso, with whom she had previously worked on two of her best-selling French albums S'il suffisait d'aimer and D'eux. Labeled "the album of pleasure" by Dion herself, the album cover showed Dion in a simple and relaxed manner, contrary to the choreographed poses usually found on her album covers. The album achieved widespread commercial success in France, Canada, and Belgium where it reached number one. In France, the album debuted at number one and was later certified 2x platinum after selling over 700,000 copies. Critic, Stephen Erlewine of Allmusic wrote that Dion's vocals "are back at top of their game" and that she was "getting back to pop basics and performing at a level unheard in a while."[136]

Though her albums were commercially successful, they did not achieve the sales or the reception of her previous works. Her songs received less airplay as radio became less embracing of balladeers like Dion, Carey, and Houston, and was focused on more up-tempo, Urban/Hip-hop songs.[137] Regardless, by 2004, Dion had accumulated sales of more than 175 million albums worldwide, and received the Chopard Diamond Award from the World Music Awards for her achievements.[138] According to the official World Music Awards website, the award is rare; it is "not presented every year" and an artist can only be presented with the award for selling "over 100 million albums during their career."[139]

2003–07: A New Day …

In early 2002, Dion had announced a three-year, 600-show contract to appear five nights a week in an entertainment extravaganza, A New Day..., at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.[13] This move was generally seen as risky, but journalist Miriam Nunzio wrote that it was "one of the smartest business decisions in years by any major recording artist".[140] Dion conceived the idea for the show after seeing O by Franco Dragone during her break from recording, and it premiered on 25 March 2003, in a 4,000-seat arena specifically designed for her show and modeled after the Roman Colosseum.[13] Many stars attended the opening night including Dick Clark, Alan Thicke, Kathy Griffin, Lance Bass and Justin Timberlake, who hosted the television special.[141] The show, directed by Dragone and choreographed by the renowned Mia Michaels, was a combination of dance, music, and visual effects. It included Dion performing her biggest hits against an array of dancers and special effects. Reviewer Mike Weatherford felt that, at first, Dion was not as relaxed as she should be, and at times, it was hard to find the singer among the excessive stage ornamentation and dancers. However, he noted that the show had become more enjoyable over the course of its run, due to Dion's improved stage-presence and simplified costumes.[78]

The show was well-received by audiences, despite the complaints of expensive tickets; it routinely sold out until its end in late 2007.[142] Ticket prices averaged $135.33.[143] According to Pollstar, Dion sold 322,000 tickets and grossed US$43.9 million in the first half of 2005, and by July 2005, she had sold out 315 out of 384 shows.[144] By the end of 2005, Dion grossed more than US$76 million, placing sixth on Billboard's Money Makers list for 2005.[145]A New Day... was the 6th biggest selling tour in America in 2006.[146] Because of the show's success, Dion's contract was extended into 2007 for an undisclosed sum. On 5 January 2007 it was announced that the show would end on 15 December 2007, with tickets for the period after October 2007 having gone on sale from 1 March.[147] During its entire run, the show accumulated a total gross of $400 million, while being seen by nearly 3 million fans.[148][149] The Live in Las Vegas - A New Day... DVD was released on 10 December 2007 in Europe and the following day in North America.[150]

2007–10: D'elles, Taking Chances and Taking Chances Tour

On 21 May 2007, Dion released the French-language album D'elles(About Them), which debuted at the top of the Canadian album charts, selling 72,200 copies in its first week. It marked her tenth number-one album in the SoundScan era, and her eighth to debut at the top position. In Canada, the album has been certified 2× platinum, and within the first month had already shipped half a million units worldwide.[151]D'Elles also reached No. 1 in France and Belgium. The first single "Et s'il n'en restait qu'une (je serais celle-là)" (meaning "And If There Was Only One Woman Left (I Would Be That One)") debuted at the top of the French singles chart a month earlier. Later that same year, Dion released the English album Taking Chances on 12 November in Europe, and 13 November in North America.[152] Her first English studio album since 2003's One Heart, it featured pop, R&B, and rock inspired music.[153] For this album, Dion collaborated with John Shanks and ex-Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody, as well as Kristian Lundin, Peer Astrom, Linda Perry, Japanese singer Yuna Ito, and R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo.[154][155] Dion stated, "I think this album represents a positive evolution in my career ... I'm feeling strong, maybe a little gutsier than in the past, and just as passionate about music and life as I ever was."[156] Dion launched her year-long worldwide Taking Chances Tour on 14 February 2008 in South Africa, performing 132 dates in stadiums and arenas across five continents.[157]

The Taking Chances Tour was a great success in the United States, reaching the Number 1 spot on the Billboard Boxscore, having sold out every concert in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, she appeared on Idol Gives Back for a second year in a row. Dion was nominated for six Juno Awards in 2008, adding to her 53 previous nominations (an all-time record). Her nominations included Artist of the Year, Pop Album of the Year (for Taking Chances), Francophone Album of the Year (for D'elles) and Album of the Year (for both Taking Chances and D'elles).[158] The following year, Dion was nominated for 3 Juno Awards including the Fan Choice Award, Song of the Year (for Taking Chances), and Music DVD of the Year (for Live in Las Vegas — A New Day...)[159]

On 22 August 2008, Dion presented a free outdoor concert, mostly in French[160] on the Plains of Abraham, in Quebec City, Canada, for the 400th anniversary of Quebec City.[161] The celebration gathered approximately 490,000 people. The concert, called Céline sur les Plaines, was released on DVD on 11 November 2008 in Quebec and was released on 20 May 2009 in France.[162] The end of October 2008 saw the worldwide release of a comprehensive English-language greatest hits album called My Love: Essential Collection.[163]

In May 2009, Celine Dion was named the 20th best-selling artist of the decade and the second-best-selling female artist of the decade in the United States, selling an estimated 17.57 million albums there since 2000.[164] In June 2009, Forbes reported that Dion earned $100 million during 2008. In December 2009, Pollstar announced that Dion was the best-selling solo touring act of the decade and the second-best-selling touring act of the decade, behind only the Dave Matthews Band.[165] Dion grossed $522.2 million during the decade, a large portion of that sum coming from her five-year residency at Caesars Palace.[165]

In January 2010, The Los Angeles Times presented its annual list of the top ten largest earners of the year, revealing that Dion took the top spot for the entire decade, with $US747.9 million in total revenue from 2000–2009.[170] The largest haul came from ticket sales, totaling $522.2 million.[170] Additionally, Dion was named "Artist of the Decade" in her native Canadian province of Quebec, announced by the Montreal-based newspaper, Le Journal de Quebec in 2009 December.[171] A public online survey asked responders to vote for who they believe deserved the above-mentioned accolade.[171]

Furthermore, in a May 2010 Harris Poll, Dion was named the most popular musician in the United States, ahead of U2, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles, while factoring in gender, political affiliations, geographic region of residence, and income.[172] Specifically, Dion was the most popular musician in the female demographic, as well as among all Democrats, those who live in the eastern United States and southern United States, and those who have incomes between US$35k and US$74.9k.[173][174]

In September 2010, she released the single "Voler", a duet with French singer Michel Sardou. The song was later included on Sardou's album.[175] In addition, it was announced in October 2010 that Dion wrote and composed a new song for Canadian singer, Marc Dupré entitled "Entre deux mondes".[176]

2011–present: Celine, Sans attendre and Loved Me Back to Life

In an interview with People magazine published in February 2010, Dion announced that she would be returning to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for Celine, a three-year residency for seventy shows a year, beginning 15 March 2011.[177] She stated that the show will feature, "all the songs from my repertoire that people want to hear" and will contain a selection of music from classic Hollywood films.[177] To promote her return to Las Vegas, Dion made an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show on 21 February, during the show's final season, marking her record twenty-seventh appearance.[178][179] Additionally, for a record sixth time, Dion performed at the 83rd Academy Awards, where she sang the song "Smile," as part of the ceremony's "In Memoriam" segment.[180] On 4 September, Dion appeared on the 2011 MDA Labor Telethon Event and presented a prerecorded performance of "Open Arms" from her new Las Vegas show.[181] On 1 October 2011, the OWN Network premiered a documentary on Dion's life, detailing the months before, during and after her pregnancy, to the makings of her new Las Vegas Show, called, "Celine: 3 Boys and a New Show".[182] The documentary became the second highest rated show on TV OWN Canada. In October, FlightNetwork.com conducted a poll asking 780 participants which celebrity they would most like to sit next to on an airplane. Dion was the top favorite, with 23.7% of the vote.[183] Also, in September, Dion released the 14th perfume from her Celine Dion Parfums Collection, called "Signature".[184] On 15 September, Dion made an appearance at the free concert of world-famous tenor, Andrea Bocelli, in Central Park in New York.[185] In 2012 she performed at the 16th Jazz and Blues Festival in Jamaica.[186]

On 13 August 2014, Dion announced the indefinite postponement of all her show business activities, including the Celine residency show, and the cancellation of her Asia tour, due to the worsening of her husband's health after he underwent the removal of a cancerous tumor in December 2013.[198][199]

Artistry

Dion was able to collaborate with Barbra Streisand (left) and the Bee Gees (right), both cited as great influences in her recording career.

Musical style

Dion has faced considerable criticism from critics, who state that her music often retreats behind pop and soul conventions, and is marked by excessive sentimentality.[7][100] According to Keith Harris of Rolling Stone magazine, "[Dion's] sentimentality is bombastic and defiant rather than demure and retiring....[she] stands at the end of the chain of drastic devolution that goes Aretha-Whitney-Mariah. Far from being an aberration, Dion actually stands as a symbol of a certain kind of pop sensibility—bigger is better, too much is never enough, and the riper the emotion the more true."[207] Dion's francophone releases, by contrast, tend to be deeper and more varied than her English releases, and consequently have achieved more credibility.[44][208]

Critics have stated that Dion's involvement in the production aspect of her music is fundamentally lacking, which results in her work being overproduced[208] and impersonal.[44] However, coming from a family in which all of her siblings were musicians, she dabbled in learning how to play instruments like piano and guitar, and practiced with a Fender Stratocaster during the recording sessions of her album, Falling into You. [209] Although rare, Dion has contributed to the writing of a handful of her English and French songs, as well as writing a few songs for other artists such as Marc Dupre. Additionally, as her career progressed, she found herself taking charge in the production of her albums. On her first English album, which she recorded before she had a firm command of the English language, she expressed disapproval, which could have been avoided if she had assumed more creative input.[44] By the time she released her second English album Celine Dion, she had assumed more control of the production and recording process, hoping to dispel earlier criticisms. She stated, "On the second album I said, 'Well, I have the choice to be afraid one more time and not be 100% happy, or not be afraid and be part of this album.' This is my album."[44] Besides her contributions to some of her early French albums, Dion wrote a few of the songs on Let's Talk About Love (1997) and These Are Special Times (1998).[2]

Dion is often the subject of media ridicule[210] and parody, and is frequently impersonated on shows like MADtv, Saturday Night Live, South Park, Royal Canadian Air Farce and This Hour Has 22 Minutes for her strong accent and on-stage gesticulations. However, Dion has stated that she is unaffected by the comments, and is flattered that people take the time to impersonate her.[104] She even invited Ana Gasteyer, who parodied her on SNL, to appear on stage during one of her performances in New York. While she is rarely politically outspoken, in 2005 following the Hurricane Katrina disaster, Dion appeared on Larry King Live and tearfully criticized the U.S. government's slow response in aiding the victims of the hurricane: "There's people still there waiting to be rescued. To me that is not acceptable...How can it be so easy to send planes in another country to kill everybody in a second and destroy lives. We need to serve our country."[211] After her interview, she stated, "When I do interviews with Larry King or the big TV shows like that, they put you on the spot, which is very difficult. I do have an opinion, but I'm a singer. I'm not a politician."[212]

Voice and timbre

Dion is often regarded as one of pop music's most influential voices.[7][44][213] According to Linda Lister in Divafication: The Deification of Modern Female Pop Stars, she has been described as a reigning "Queen of Pop" for her influence over the record industry during the 1990s, alongside other female entertainers, including Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.[214] In a countdown of the "22 Greatest Voices in Music" by Blender Magazine and MTV, she placed ninth (sixth for a female), and she was also placed fourth in Cove magazine's list of "The 100 Outstanding Pop Vocalists."[18][215][216] Dion is often compared to Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston for her vocal style and to her idol, Barbra Streisand, for her voice.[217]

According to various sources, Dion possesses a five-octave vocal range,[218][219][220] although arguably fully spanning only a three-octave range, from B2 to C♯6.[citation needed] Dion once stated that she is a mezzo-soprano.[221] However, attempts to adapt classical voice types to other forms of singing have been met with controversy.[222] Without making a classification, maestro Kent Nagano remarked, "All you just sang was soprano," after Dion auditioned with two solos from Carmen, wanting to know if she could sing opera.[221] Her timbre has been described as "thin, slightly nasal"[223] with a "raspy" lower register and "bell glass-like high notes."[224]

Dion is often praised for her technical virtuosity.[225] Jim Santella of The Buffalo News writes "Like an iron fist in a velvet glove, the power of Celine Dion's voice is cloaked in a silky vibrato that betrays the intensity of her vocal commitment."[226] Jeff Miers, also of The Buffalo News, says of Dion "Her singing voice is absolutely extra-human. She hits notes in full voice, with a controlled vibrato and an incredible conception of pitch, like she's shucking an ear of corn"[227] Stephen Holden of The New York Times states that Dion has "a good-sized arsenal of technical skills. She can deliver tricky melismas, produce expressive vocal catches and sustain long notes without the tiniest wavering of pitch. And as her duets [...] have shown, she is a reliable harmony voice."[223] In an interview with Libération, Jean-Jacques Goldman notes that she has "no problem of accuracy or tempo."[228] According to Kent Nagano, maestro of the Munich Symphony Orchestra, Dion is "a musician who has a good ear, a refinement, and a degree of perfection that is enviable."[221] Charles Alexander of TIME states, "[Her] voice glides effortlessly from deep whispers to dead-on high notes, a sweet siren that combines force with grace."[37]

In her French repertoire, Dion adorns her vocals with more nuances and expressiveness, with the emotional intensity being "more tender and intimate."[229] Additionally, Luc Plamondon, a French singer-songwriter who has worked closely with Dion claims that there are three chanteuses (stylistically) that Dion uses: the Québécois, the French, and the American.[229] Her self-titled album was promoted with the slogan "Remember the name because you'll never forget the voice."

Legacy

Celine Dion is regarded as one of pop music's most influential voices. Linda Lister describes Dion as a reigning Queen of Pop for her influence over the record industry during the 1990s.[230] Her music and vocal style, alongside that of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, have been said to shape how the bulk of modern female pop vocalists sing. These three singers have been widely credited with reviving the power ballad, and in doing so reshaping the adult contemporary genre, making it one of the most popular genres of the 1990s and early 2000s. According to producer, musician, and former American Idol judge Randy Jackson, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston are the voices of the modern era.[231] Cultural critic Carl Wilson notes that Dion's "fame and influence is also renewed and expressed regularly these days by American Idol, the largest mass musical phenomenon of the past decade, where Celine's stood solidly in its pantheon of singers for young people to emulate".[232] Many contestants on the countless televised talent competitions that have risen at the turn of the millennium often emulate Dion, Houston and Carey and cite them as idols.[233]

On a cultural level, Dion is credited for introducing francophone music to many non-francophone countries around the globe. Her albums D'eux and S'il suffisait d'aimer remain the best selling francophone albums in history gaining unprecedented success in non-Francophone markets such as the United Kingdom, Poland, Netherlands, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Japan and New Zealand. According to RFI Musique, Celine "has done her bit for French music over the years, assuring the success of French songs which would probably never have got beyond Francophone borders without her... Without Celine French record sales would be dramatically lower!"[274] In 2008 Dion received the Legion of Honour from Nicolas Sarkozy further proving her cultural impact.[275] Sarkozy praised Celine and stated: "France thanks you because your talent and success have contributed to the influence of the French language outside our borders".

Dion is also credited for both revitalizing and revolutionizing the entertainment scene in Las Vegas with the gargantuan successes of her residencies there. She managed to re-popularize the Las Vegas “residency” as a desirable way for top artists to essentially tour in place, letting their fans come to them. Over the years, fellow established icons such as Elton John, Bette Midler, Rod Stewart, Cher and Shania Twain followed suit.[276][277] According to Gary Bongiovanni, president and editor-in-chief of Pollstar “Celine redefined what artists can do in Las Vegas, helping to make it arguably the busiest entertainment city in the world.”[278] By 2013, even the much-younger pop star Britney Spears had announced a Vegas residency, further cementing the extent of Dion's influence on the city as an entertainment capital.[279] Kurt Melien, vice president of entertainment at Caesar's Palace stated “Celine was a pioneer without question..Twenty years ago, we couldn’t have got someone the stature of Britney Spears to appear in Vegas. Stars likes her would never have considered it if Celine hadn’t paved the way. She changed the face of modern Vegas.”[280] Regarding her financial impact on Las Vegas, Stephen Brown, director of the Centre for Business and Economic Research in Las Vegas, commented "People will come to the city just for her and they will spend money and as a consequence, she has an outsized impact on the economy", then adding "Bigger than Elvis, Sinatra and Liberace put together? Definitely.". Estimations indicate that Dion's show will create up to 7,000 indirect jobs and around $114 million worth of new economic activity in each of the three years for which she has been contracted.[281]

Other activities

In Business

Les Productions Feeling Inc., also known as Feeling Inc. or just Feeling, is an artist management company based in Laval, Quebec, Canada and owned by Dion and her husband and manager, Rene Angelil. Dion is also founder of Nickels Restaurant food chain. Dion and her husband also own Le Mirage Golf Club and Schwartz's Restaurant. In association with Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf and Shaquille O'Neal she opened a popular night club called Pure, located at Caesars Palace.

Products and endorsements

Dion became an entrepreneur with the establishment of her franchise restaurant, Nickels in 1990. She has since divested her interests in the chain and is no longer affiliated with Nickels, as of 1997. In 2003, Dion signed a deal with Coty, Inc. to release Celine Dion Parfums.[292] Her latest fragrance, Signature, was released in September 2011[184] with an advertising campaign by New York agency Kraftworks NYC.[293] Since its inception, Celine Dion Parfums has grossed over $850 million in retail sales.[294][295] In October 2004, Air Canada hired Dion as part of their promotional campaign to unveil new service products and an updated livery. "You and I", the theme song sung by Dion, was written by advertising executives working for Air Canada.[296]

Philanthropy

Dion has actively supported many charity organizations, worldwide. She has promoted the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF) since 1982, and became the foundation's National Celebrity Patron in 1993.[297] She has an emotional attachment to the foundation; her niece Karine succumbed to the disease at the age of sixteen, in Dion's arms. In 2003, she joined a number of other celebrities, athletes, and politicians, including Josh Groban and Yolanda Adams to support "World Children's Day", a global fundraising effort sponsored by McDonald's. The effort raised money from more than 100 nations and benefited orphanages and children's health organizations. In addition, Dion has been a major supporter of the T.J. Martell Foundation, the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, and many health and educational campaigns. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Dion donated $1 million to the victims of the storm, and held a fund-raising event for the victims of the 2004 Asian Tsunami, which subsequently raised more than $1 million.[298] After the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Dion donated $100,000 to China Children & Teenagers' Fund and sent a letter showing her consolation and support.[299] Since 2004, she is involved, alongside husband René Angelil, with the Québec gay community by supporting the publication of health and HIV prevention materials in Gay Globe Magazine, owned by journalist Roger-Luc Chayer.[300]

Personal life

Dion first met her husband and manager, René Angélil in 1980, when she was 12 and he was 38, after she and her mother sent him a demo tape of a song they had written. They began a relationship in 1987, and became engaged in 1991. They married on 17 December 1994, at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Quebec. On 5 January 2000, Dion and Angelil renewed their wedding vows in Las Vegas.

In May 2000, Dion had two small operations at a fertility clinic in New York to improve her chances of conceiving, after deciding to use in-vitro fertilisation due to years of failed attempts to conceive. Their first son, René-Charles Angelil, was born on 25 January 2001. In May 2010, Angelil announced that Dion was 14 weeks pregnant with twins after a sixth treatment of in-vitro fertilisation. On Saturday, 23 October 2010, at 11:11 and 11:12 am respectively, at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, Dion, by Caesarean section, gave birth to healthy fraternal twins.[301] The twins were named Eddy, after Dion's favorite Algerian songwriter Eddy Marnay who also produced Dion's first five albums, and Nelson, after former South African President Nelson Mandela.[302] Dion appeared with her newborn sons on the cover of the 9 December 2010 issue of the Canadian edition of Hello! magazine.[303]

^"If Ella Fitzgerald is the queen of jazz, Billie Holiday first lady of the blues, and Aretha Franklin the queen of soul, then who is the queen of pop? In the 1990s, it would seem to be a three-way tie between Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion. Certainly all three have their devotees and detractors, but their presence has been inescapable." in Lister, Linda (2001). "Divafication: The Deification of Modern Female Pop Stars". Popular Music and Society25 (3/4). p. 1. ISSN0300-7766.